Stand Out Or Stand Down – It’s More Competitive Than Ever

Canada’s unemployment rate (CANLXEMR) rose for a third month in December 2011 as a gain in jobs trailed growth of the labor force, with the labour market likely to stay stalled in 2012 according to a survey of economists conducted by Bloomberg news.

As always in a tight market where employers have their choice of candidates, you need to stand out. You really do.  Getting in front of a hiring manager is key and unless you are an exceptional networker or unusually well connected, your chance of getting in front of the right person will probably depend on your resume.

So what makes a resume stand out?  First of all, make sure it doesn’t look like every other template resume downloaded from the internet.   Sifting through reams of documents that all look alike becomes tedious for a hiring manager.  Your resume should present itself in a stand-out, professional, corporate manner.  Do not go down the dead-end road of garish designs or quirky quips.  That will make you stand out but for all the wrong reasons.

Secondly, make sure your resume and cover letter communicate the pertinent information in a clear and accessible format.  Recruiters don’t want to read through every single line item on your document…they want you to make their life easy.  So tailor your resume and cover letter to suit the role you’re going after and make sure you SELL not just TELL.

Thirdly, no spelling errors please.  If I’m sifting through 75 resumes I need an immediate filter and spelling errors guarantee an encounter with the corporate shredder.

Lastly….no photos unless you’re in a profession that requires a photo as part of your application.

It’s becoming even harder to stand out, as such job seekers have no option but to raise their game.  Make sure you raise your game if you want to distinguish yourself from your peers.  Now is the time to do it!